Grief
by MarshmallowMayhem
Summary: Phic Phight 2019 Entry 2 Prompt by heyheyitsstillgay (speedyowl152)/ speedyowl152 Why exactly did Dark Dan merge with Vlad and kill his human half anyway? And how many details about the incident did Vlad twist or skip over when he told Danny the story? Vlad gets the worst call of his life. How he deals with it in the weeks to come leads to an inevitable conclusion.
1. Denial

Vlad's fist left a dent in the table where he had slammed it down in frustration. Several bottles had fallen and a single beaker had tipped over the edge and now lay shattered on the floor. Vlad ignored the mess to hold his head in his exhausted arms. Sighing he reach for a pen and began scribbling in the nearby notebook.

Experiment 63: Failure

Once again my attempt at creating the perfect minion has yielded no result. The agitated state of the stronger ghost concealed any effect the serum might have had in subduing its emotional state and making it more compliant. The forced merger ended in the lesser ghost being completely absorbed into the ectoplasmic body of the stronger ghost. There have been no noticeable changes as a result. I still believe the trick is to overwhelm the resistant emotions of the stronger ghost with greater feelings of loyalty and obedience in the weaker ghost, however, in all attempts the lesser ghost is overcome by fear and only gets absorbed and devoured by the power of the greater ghost.

I will try again tomorrow.

Vlad didn't both to close the notebook as he dropped the pen among the fallen beakers and turned to ascend the stairs. Before he even opened the hidden door in the bookcase he could hear the sound of his phone in the next room. He managed to pick it up before the last ring.

"This is Masters. To whom am I speaking?"

"Mr. Master, I am Judith Evans of Amity Park PD. I'm sorry to tell you this, but there has been a terrible accident."

Vlad was slightly annoyed. Why on earth would they call him? Normally his publicist or public media coordinator would let him know if some tragedy was worthy of a photo opportunity. There was no reason for the police to contact him directly.

"Please elaborate." He might as well play along until he knew more.

"It's the Fentons. You are listed as the emergency contact in the event of their sudden passing."

Vlad's heart dropped and for a moment everything went silent. What was that supposed to mean? Sure Jack had asked him about some nonsense related to looking after the kids in the case of an emergency, but…

"Sir? Are you still there?"

Vlad's voice shook. "Yes, I'm still here. What's this nonsense about suddenly passing?" It was a mistake, he had misheard. Or maybe it was a misunderstanding, or perhaps he was lucky and that oaf was finally out of the picture. They might be calling him because Maddie was too upset and they needed someone level headed to take care of things.

"There was an explosion at the Nasty Burger. The entire Fenton family, both parents, and children were at the scene along with a teacher and two friends of their youngest child. Only the boy, Danny, survived."

Vlad felt sick. This was a joke, they were lying. Someone had given them the wrong information and it was all a big misunderstanding.

"Sir?"

"I'm heading over," Vlad said angrily. He refused to believe she was gone. "I want to see it with my own eyes.

"Sir, the boy…"

"Yes, the boy," Vlad's voice softened. "Danny." The boy was alone. He had seen everything. He could clear this up. "I'll be over as quickly as I can. I want to know everything that happened," He snapped and hung up.

Vlad hardly had time to put on a decent jacket before he was out the door. He paid no mind to the speed limit as he hurried to that disgusting fast food dive the teens of this city were so hung up over. He vaguely remembered something about an attack there the other day but he had been too busy to look into it.

...

The damage was horrible. Bits of rubble and debris, twisted metal and melted plastic were all roped off behind yellow police tape. Everything was covered in a heavy layer of soot. Vlad couldn't bring himself to step out for a closer look, but he also could work up the strength to drive away. Only the need for answers finally pulled his eyes back to the road. Someone was going to explain how this happened.

...

Vlad's Bruno Magli's struck sharply against the tile as he hurried into the APPD. An officer was waiting to greet him. Evans, most likely.

"Hello, Mr. Mast-"

"Never mind the formalities, what happened!?"

Evans hesitated, "We're still figuring that out. At the moment our best guess it the ghost fight the other day damaged the sauce tank at the Nasty Burger. As for why the Fentons and the other three victims were there at the time of the explosion…"

"So you know nothing," Vlad snapped coldly. "What about Danny? Surely he saw everything?"

The officer's eyes saddened, and her lip tightened. "He's not speaking. He was found at the scene kneeling on the ground, staring into the flames. He was completely in shock and didn't respond to any stimulation."

"Where is he?"

The officer led Vlad down a hall and around a corner. Sitting on a bench, staring at the floor and covered in soot, was Danny.

"Daniel," Vlad said sharply, striding quickly towards the boy.

Danny didn't react.

Vlad stood in front of him and said his name again to no effect. Finally, he grabbed his shoulders and gave him a shake. "Daniel, look at me."

Danny finally looked up, but his eyes were empty, hollow, dark. After a moment the boy started to recognize who was in front of him.

"Vlad? What are you…?" Tears welled up in his eyes and Vlad was taken aback. Danny's lip trembled, he seemed to be trying to speak, but couldn't. Finally, he squeezed his eyes shut and looked down.

Vlad felt his own throat close. This was real. It wasn't a sick prank or some miscommunication. There had been an accident. The Fentons had been involved. Only Danny was left.


	2. Anger

"I don't care who you have to get involved!" Vlad roared into the headpiece. "You find out who is responsible, you drag them into court, and you charge them with manslaughter due to negligence. Someone I cared about died and I will see justice done!"

The phone nearly cracked under the force with which Vlad slammed it into the receiver. Sighing heavily he collapsed into his wingback chair. He'd had his people looking for five days to find out which subpar cleanup company had failed to notice the time bomb that had been the Nasty Burger secret sauce. Everyone knew that filthy condiment was toxic and questionable. Someone should have been on the scene immediately, and, if Vlad had any say, it would be permanently removed from the market.

A shadow moved silently passed Vlad's office causing him to look up.

"Danny?"

Vlad hurried from his chair but by the time he reached the door the boy was already around the corner. Vlad considered following but instead leaned heavily against the wall. He could make calls all day, ensure people got fired, businesses were shut down and could guarantee someone was going to end up in jail, but he had no idea how to comfort a single teenage boy.

It hadn't been long since the accident or the funeral and Danny hardly slept or ate. When he wasn't staring blankly into a corner he was wandering aimlessly around the mansion. It was almost like he was looking for something but had forgotten what it was he was looking for. Vlad had tried to speak with him but Danny had yet to utter more than a word or two.

Vlad returned to his desk and sifted through papers. He had been trying to find information on the ghost that had damaged the food joint in the first place but most of the pictures were blurry and the articles simply said it was a terrifying spirit or aggressive ghoul. No useful information on which ghost had actually attacked.

Frustrated Vlad turned to the internet. Surely some wannabe blogger had written something. It took over an hour but he finally found a chat forum which described the event.

Dudes! YOU. ARE. NOT. GOING. TO. BELIEVE. IT.

Vlad was already annoyed by the poor writing but he needed to know what happened.

I was on my way to get my grub on when it happened! Two ghosts appear out of nowhere and are throwing punches left and right and left again. It was epic! People start running, but not me! No, for your entertainment I stayed and watched! And guess what? One of them was Danny Phantom! That's right, the hero ghost kid of this town was duking it out to keep you and me safe. His opponent this time was riding a sick motorcycle and had control of this black puddle that kept darting…

Vlad didn't need to read the rest. He had his answer.

Vlad found Danny in the study, staring out a window.

"Daniel?"

No response. Vlad wasn't even sure he had been heard.

"Daniel, I'm stepping out for a bit. I won't be long."

Still no response.

"There's food in the kitchen if you get hungry."

Danny's head dipped but Vlad wasn't entirely sure it was in response to his words.

He hesitated, "Take...take care then."

Vlad had no idea if Danny was getting worse or better. There was a saying about time and wounds but Vlad had never put much stock in outdated phrases, and he knew from experience that some wounds needed more than time alone to heal.

...

The heavy metal doors hissed as they opened, revealing the swirling, green mass of ecto energy behind them. Vlad stepped forward and a dark ring burst out around his middle, radiating over his body until his custom tailored suit was replaced by a white outfit with black boots and gloves and a floor-length cape complete with an obnoxiously high collar. His skin glowed green, his eyes red and his silver hair darkened to black.

His feet easily left the ground as he flew into the portal. If he knew his target, Johnny would be riding along one of the many floating strips of earth and stone which broke up the void of the ghost zone. The longer the better since it meant there was more turf to ride.

Vlad knew he found his target when he heard the sputtering roar of an engine. He wasted no time soaring above his prey and then he dove suddenly, his hands digging into the punk's jacket and hauling him forcefully off his ride.

"What gives old man!" Johnny yelled, but he quickly shut up when he saw the fury on Vlad's face. "Woah, hey I don't have to ride the bike here. I can go somewhere else."

"I don't care where you ride that bike," Vlad hissed, his eyes burning like coals. "I want to know why you felt the need to destroy that obnoxious fast food disaster?"

Johnny looked confused, "Wait do you mean the burger joint?"

Vlad growled. He was not in the mood for games.

"Look," Johnny said desperately, "I didn't mean to wreck the place. It just happened in the fight. I was only there for the kid."

Vlad's eyes narrowed so Johnny started blabbing faster.

"I swear. I actually liked that place. They had great fries. I was only there because I got my bike tricked out in exchange for going after the kid."

Vlad growled again, this time lower. "What do you mean, in exchange for going after the kid?"

Johnny swallowed. "Look everyone knows Walker has it out for Danny, most of us do, but this time he offered to have some special extras added on my bike. They were supposed to give me an edge, and they did, uh, not that that matters. I still lost, but the deal was I could keep them if I took out the kid."

Vlad released Johnny from his grip. So it was Walker who started all this. Walker was the one who got Maddie killed.

"So, we done?" Johnny asked hesitantly.

"Not quite," Vlad said, pulling back his fist.

…

Walker's prison was much further away, but Vlad hardly noticed. His fury had settled only slightly after he finished beating Johnny senseless. Now he hoped for some answers. Walker wasn't one to take orders from others, which meant he was likely the only one behind the idea to attack Danny that day. If this turned out to be true it would mean Walker was the one who was responsible for the tragedy which took Maddie away and left her son broken and alone. Vlad would make sure he paid for that offense.

Vlad didn't bother knocking before throwing the doors to the prison open. Some of the guards moved to stop him but a quick ghost ray to the chest was it all took for them to go down. In a few short strides, he was outside Walker's office. A moment later the hinges were deprived of their door.

Walker looked up from his desk, calm but annoyed. "Vlad Plasmius. Do you have any idea how many rules you just broke."

"Oh please," Vlad sneered. "We both know rules only apply when you can enforce them, and in my case, you have never been able to enforce them."

Walker snarled but couldn't refute the statement. Instead, he stood slowly, placing his arms solidly behind his back. "In that case, to what do I owe this aggressive visit?"

"A little birdy told me you provided a certain biker with new parts in exchange for going after a certain ghost child."

"Your point?" Walker asked coldly.

"Because of you, someone I care about is gone. To be frank, I'm not here to talk." Vlad's hand began to glow. "I'm here to punish those responsible."

"Now hold on there," Walker said calmly raising his hands, "It has become an urgent matter to have that boy taken care of as soon as possible."

Vlade took a step forward. "I don't care about your vendetta with Danny." Vlad stepped forward again.

"This isn't about me." Walker stepped back. "If we don't stop him now order will be completely upended-"

"I don't care about your order," Vlad snapped this time he leaped forward, his glowing fists darted outward to collide with Walkers unusually square jaw. "Because of you, she is dead. And that is an affront I will not forgive."

...

Vlad left the prison with his hands dripping in ectoplasm. He wasn't sure how much of it was Walkers and how much was his own and he didn't care. Those responsible had been dealt with...so why didn't he feel any better?


	3. Bargaining

Vlad didn't know what to do with himself. Sure he had a few minor duties to take care of in his many businesses, occasionally he'd go down to the lab and stare at his experiment notes only to leave without so much as turning a page. The notebook from the day he got that dreadful call was still open to the last place he had made notes. He never did bother to close it. More than once he found himself wandering the mansion, occasionally he'd run into Danny. The boy would glance his way but Vlad doubted Danny actually saw him. Vlad himself would try and speak, once or twice he reached out but each time he remembered all the pain he himself and caused the boy, all the threats and schemes. He'd remind himself that he was likely the last person from whom Danny wanted to receive any sort of comfort.

It was near the end of the second week that Vlad realized he had to do something. The boy was visibly starting to lose weight and it took a great amount of coaxing to get him to eat even a bite of food anymore. Vlad had hoped with time Danny would be ready to move on, but with each day the boy only sunk deeper into his own misery.

Vlad considered getting a therapist, didn't they have grief counselors for this sort of thing? But Vlad had never put much faith in such professions. Besides, Danny wasn't all human, there would be parts of his mental state and reasoning he simply couldn't divulge without giving away his secret, and Vlad wasn't sure they could trust anyone to keep that secret. Even if someone could help Danny move on emotionally it wouldn't fix the actual problem. The real issue was that Danny had lost everyone, and there was no bringing them back.

Vlad froze, turned and hurried down to his lab. There was a rumor, just a ghost tale nothing more, a story he had heard around the ghost zone in the same way urban legends were told around cities. He didn't pay it any mind at the time because it had sounded impossible even among ghosts, but after more recent events he was starting to reconsider.

Rummaging through several old boxes he pulled out a torn and battered notebook. It had been written in years ago, well over a decade but he still remembered the entry. Vlad flipped it open, coughed on the dust and began reading.

Today I traveled deeper than ever into the ghost zone. This place continues to fascinate me. Last week I listened to a ghostly crone speak of a king who had been locked away. Today I listened to a hermit talk of a spirit who wielded the power of time itself. It's nonsense truly. Such power defies physics even beyond what ghosts are capable of, but it was an interesting story all the same. Like something from a fairy tale. This ghost was even said to live in an enormous grandfather clock of a tower. I'm pretty sure I was told a nursery rhyme of a similar structure as a child. It is silly but entertaining…

"If the king was real then why not this fellow?" Vlade mused to himself. Danny wasn't getting better and he himself was starting to lose his way. The only solution was to undo everything. It was a long shot, but it was also his last chance to make things better.

…

To Vlad's surprise, there were a number of ghosts who had heard the rumors, some even claimed to have seen the tower, although none remembered exactly where it was. Vlad was beginning to think it might really be just a rumor after all when he came across someone who claimed to have been there. After insisting that they tell him Vlad hurried to find the tower and fix everything.

…

The structure was not what he expected. It certainly did look like a grandfather clock, but it also looked a bit like a castle shaped in a fashion after a haunted house. Deciding he was not impressed Vlad hurried inside.

Giant gears ground slowly overhead and from within the walls. A large bell hung from part of the ceiling and what looked like a mirror glowed faintly in front of a ghostly form in a hooded purple cloak.

Vlad clenched his fist and stepped forward. "Tell me spirit, are you the one they say controls time itself?"

The spirit turned only slightly, a single red eye glancing boredly in Vlad's direction.

"Well?" Vlad demanded.

The Ghost sigh. "At one time it was considered rude to make demands without even introducing yourself first."

Vlad fumed but if playing this ghost game got him what he wanted he was willing to try. He could always force it out of the ghost if he refused. "I am known as Vlad Plasmius. And I have come here to request your assistance in an important matter."

"I am called Clockwork," the ghost replied. "Would you care for some tea?"

"I do not want tea," Vlad snapped.

The ghost stared at Vlad with tired patience, making Vlad only more furious. Did this spirit think itself better than him? Did it see him as a mere child?

"I need to change the past. If the rumors are true you can send me back in time."

"No."

"No, you can't, or no, you won't?" Vlad growled.

"No...I will not."

"Fine. Then I will force your hand."

Vlad charged at the ghost, his hands glowing with ectoplasmic energy.

The ghost raised a large staff and it's thumb settled at its top. The ghost disappeared.

Before Vlad could process what happened he felt an impact in his side and then the world was spinning as he tumbled across the room. Regaining his feet he charged again. A moment later he was tumbling across the room again with a strong feeling of deja vu.

Again and again, Vlad tried to attack the ghost but each time the ghost disappeared and Vlad was suddenly struck from a spot he could not see. More than once he was hit so hard he was certain his mind replayed the event again before he hit the ground. The ghost meanwhile seemed almost amused by his attempts.

After colliding with another wall Vlad stumbled to his knees, panting and aching more than he had in a long time.

"Are you finally done?" The ghost asked. He sounded bored again.

It was slowly dawning on Vlad why he couldn't win. How could he be so stupid? A ghost who could control time would obviously have an advantage in any fight, all they had to do was stop and start and rewind time over and over for as long as needed for their opponent to get worn out. It was entirely possible this ghost had known every move Vlad would try before he even tried it. He was never going to win this fight.

As that reality sunk in Vlad realized he only had one choice, he hated it, but he was also desperate.

"Please," Vlad began.

"Please?" So you do have manners.

"Please," Vlad repeated. "Let me save her."

"Just her? Were there not others that could have been saved as well?"

Vlad clenched his teeth. This bastard already knew. He knew everything.

"Then let me save all of them, or just one, I don't care which."

"How noble. That's rather unlike you."

"What do you know!" Vlad snapped. He then sucked in his breath, afraid he had made things worse. "Please. I know I don't deserve to have her back, but the boy doesn't deserve this." Part of Vlad had said it to gain sympathy, but another part of him stirred at the words. Part of him really meant it. Seeing Daniel so broken had been bothering him. Not just because Danny was someone else he had always hoped would stand by his side, but because he honestly felt the boy's pain. He didn't want Danny to suffer, not just for his own sake but for the boy's as well. "Please," Vlad begged.

"No."

"Why!?" Vlad demanded, his anger boiling up once more. "It's only been a couple of weeks, how much could possibly be undone by bringing them back?"

"There are certain things which simply must be allowed to play out," Clockwork said firmly.

"Then I will remain here until I can persuade you to change your mind," Vlad snarled.

"Do as you like," Clockwork sighed. "I have all of time. You, however, do not."

Clockwork waved his staff toward the mirror and its surface blurred slightly before showing an image of Danny, glassy-eyed, thinner than he should have been, and staring blankly out a window. The surface blurred again and revealed Walker and his goons gathering around one of the portals.

Vlad rose to his feet.

"I have already made up my mind." Clockwork continued. "And as someone who knows the future, I guarantee I will not change it. You, however, have a choice to make. Stay and insist on attempting to persuade me, knowing it won't work, or go and save the boy. In his current vulnerable state, I don't think he will last long. I'd even bet he is unlikely to fight back."

Vlad stared in horror as the goons began to pry open the door of the portal.

"Time is ticking," Clockwork reminded him.

Vlad bit his lip, clenched his fists, and then turned and flew from Clockwork's tower as quickly as he could. If he hurried he might just make it in time.

…

Danny, couldn't stop seeing the flames. Everywhere he looked he saw the yellow and orange licking the surface of stone and steel. It was worse if he closed his eyes. No matter how much he washed the smell of ash and burnt flesh clung to him, a permanent part of his body. He liked that Vlad's house was so big and empty. It meant no one would stare at him with pity, no one would try and talk to him, and no one would ask him to re-live that event. Not that it mattered. He wasn't sure he ever stopped reliving it.

Danny wasn't sure how much time had passed. Maybe it was a week, maybe a month, not that it mattered. It was almost funny, all the times he had gone ghost, but this was the first time he actually felt like one. Too bad he couldn't laugh. It wasn't that funny after all.

A shadow moved near the door. It was probably Vlad. Maybe it was time to eat again. Danny wasn't hungry, but Vlad always insisted that he eat something. A large hand roughly grabbed Danny's shoulder. For a moment he was confused, Vlad's hands were much smaller and he hadn't been that rough since their last fight. As Danny was forced around he realized it wasn't Vlad.

Walker easily lifted Danny several feet off the ground. His smile was gleefully cold.

"Well, well, well. Don't you just look half dead already? I don't think I've ever seen you this weak." Walker tossed Danny across the room where he collided with the bookshelves before collapsing on the ground. A moment later Walker was pulling him up again. "If I had known you'd be this weak I think I would have had your family killed much sooner."

Danny's eyes flashed, but the glow faded. He wanted to be mad, he needed to be mad, but the memory was still strong. The flames, the smell, the screams. Danny squeezed his eyes shut but failed to stop the tears from flowing. Walker laughed. The bastard actually laughed.

Danny was falling. He opened his eyes in time to see Vlad, in full Plasmius form, catch him and pull him close. For a moment Danny wondered how long it had been since he had last felt the touch of another person. He wondered if Vlad could smell the ash and burnt flesh odor or if that was only in Danny's head.

Vlad lifted his hand, his fist glowing with ectoplasmic light and energy before he blasted Walker and his goons. Even with one hand supporting Danny he was more than a match for the warden and his men.

"Dammit Plasmius, that boy needs to be dealt with. You don't understand what is at stake."

"I don't care," Vlad snarled. "This boy is under my protection, and I will not hesitate to destroy anyone who seeks to cause him harm. If you attack him," Vlad's voice lowered to a menacing growl, "I will consider it an attack against myself."

"You will regret this," Walker warned, backing slowly from the room. "For all our sakes I hope it's not too late."

Vlad kept up his guard until he was certain Walker was long gone. The danger passed, Vlad sunk to the floor putting his hands on both of Danny's shoulders as the dark rings sprung from his center, passed over his limbs and returned him to his human form. He was trembling. Vlad could hardly explain why, but for some reason, the loss of Danny would have been too much. He had already lost too much.

"Vlad?"

Vlad looked up. Danny's eyes looked just a bit clearer.

"Why did you save me?"

"I…" Vlad barely knew why himself. "I...didn't want to lose you too. After losing your mother...and you're her son...I had always hoped, but not like this." Vlad couldn't explain. And who would believe him even if he did? Vlad's hands fell to his lap. He was starting to remember why he had kept his distance. "I will protect you, Danny. I promise. I'm afraid I'm no good in terms of offering comfort. But what I can offer is yours."

"Thank you, Vlad."


	4. Depression

Danny ate slightly more at breakfast. That was good, except Vlad later heard him retching into one of the toilets. Clearly, it was going to take more than a half-hearted talk after saving the kid from permanent death to help Danny move on. Exactly what that was Vlad still wasn't sure.

Vlad had three meetings which kept him from figuring out what to do with Danny. The first one was business as usual, Vlad made a few demands, a couple of veiled threats and at least one bribe. Halfway through the second meeting, his thoughts wandered to Danny, and Maddie, and the fact that he had been powerless to do more than bring pain to those responsible. By the third meeting, he was no longer in the mood and cut it short.

Vlad sighed and stood from his desk. It was only a few strides to his window where he leaned against the frame. He wondered when was the last time he had actually looked at his garden? Is that what the landscapers were doing? He supposed it was what was in style at the moment, but he couldn't help thinking it looked rather obnoxious and ugly. Why did he even want an ugly garden? Vlad pulled away from the window. He would call the landscapers in the morning and have them redo it. If anyone complained about it being out of fashion he would simply pay to have it be in fashion.

Vlad walked down the hall. He wondered if the hall had always been this long. And why did he have so many old paintings and tapestries?. He didn't even like half of them. He only got them because they were expensive and showed off his wealth. In fact, most of what he owned seemed to be to impress others or flaunt his fortune. The only exception was the Packers memorabilia in the front hall, but even that had been collected to such a degree that it had become a form of showing off.

Vlad tried to remember why he had done this, was it really just power? Yes, at first it had been power. He needed to impress certain people, especially back when he didn't have the ability to overshadow half a town. He needed to be more clever in his deceptions and so he started putting up a facade and creating a persona. Somewhere along the way the line between who he had been and who he pretended to be had become blurred and eventually faded altogether. Except, there had been one other reason. There was one person he had always wanted to impress and never could, but she was gone now. There was no point in trying to impress her. In fact, the more he thought about it, there was no point in trying to impress anyone.

As Vlad looked around his halls he began to realize he didn't need any of this. There was nothing he wanted anymore, so what was the point in trying to gain more power or buy more expensive things. None of this mattered. It was all for nothing.

But what about Danny? Yes, Danny still needed him, but Danny didn't need any of this. He didn't need a big mansion or fancy furniture. Vlad wasn't sure what he needed but he was certain it wasn't this.

Vlad's pace picked up as he walked down the hall. He entered the library and opened the bookcase. He didn't even bother to close the secret door behind him. It didn't matter anymore. There was no longer anything to hide and certainly no reason to hide it. Vlad planned to get rid of all of it.

He shoved beakers and bottles into a box. He tossed half completed equipment in bags and emptied the shelves into the nearest waste bin. Yes, all of it had to go. First, he would clear out the lab, then he'd shut down the portal. He was wondering if it would be better to auction off his art collection to just donate it to some museum when a sound near the stairs made him turn.

"Vlad?" it was Danny. "What are you doing?"

"Clearing out unnecessary things," Vlad said tying off the bag and throwing it into a corner with the rest. He heard something shatter as it landed but paid it no mind.

"Why?"

It was the most Danny had spoken in weeks and Vlad wanted very much to encourage the boy to continue.

"Because I don't need it anymore. This is…" Vlad ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "was from when I thought power was everything. I realized power alone only goes so far, and none of this," Vlad gestured to the mess, "will make either of us happy."

Danny walked slowly through the lab, his hand tracing the now empty shelves.

"Will you be happy if you get rid of it?"

"...I don't know, but I think it's a start."

Danny watched in silence while Vlad furiously threw away everything small enough to fit in a trash bag. At times he seemed angry, other times he'd pause lost in thought. Danny wondered how he did it. Ever since the accident, all he could feel was pain and saddness. His stomach turned and twisted so much he couldn't eat and each time he closed his eyes all he could see was fire and ash. He couldn't sleep because of the nightmares and when he woke he was always alone. This house was so big no one heard when he cried or yelled, although that was partly because he kept far from Vlad whenever it got too much.

Danny's hands passed over a notebook left open on the table. Vlad hadn't thrown it away yet. Danny wondered if Vlad had been sad when his mother passed away. The older half-ghost had always claimed to love Danny's mom. Half his schemes were in order to win her over, but Danny hadn't once seen him sad since the accident. Vlad had been angry plenty, but never sad. He had looked tired, but he had never cried. Danny had cried a lot. He wondered if it was because Vlad was a grown up, or if maybe he didn't actually care as much as he claimed, but then Danny remembered when Vlad had saved him. Danny had been ready to die and Vlad had shown up, angry and protective. For a moment he seemed to care. For a moment he had been vulnerable, and then the next day he was back to his old ways. Back to business as usual.

Danny glanced down at the paper under his fingers. Notes from an experiment. The last line had intended to continue the research, but there had been no entry following it. There was dust on the page, not much but enough to suggest it had been more than a week since it was left open. Danny's eyes scanned the page. He had nothing better to do.

Vlad tied off another bag and looked around for his next target.

"Vlad?'

"Yes, Daniel?"

"What is this?"

Vlad turned to see Danny holding up one of his notebooks. The one from the day he learned of the incident, but he didn't need to tell Danny that.

"Notes from a failed experiment. In all honesty, I don't think it was ever going to work."

"Why not?"

Danny was talking again. That was good.

"It required a strong ghost that was powerful enough to become the main body but emotionally vulnerable enough to allow a weaker ghost's emotions to overwhelm it and become the new emotional core of the spirit. Unfortunately, most ghosts have a direct link between their strength and their emotional state. Maybe if the dominant spirit had been willing to surrender its emotions it would have worked but I have yet to encounter any ghost willing to do that."

"I would."

Vlad froze. Danny's voice had been so soft he must have misheard. He turned to face the boy, his expression clearly confused. Danny looked dead serious.

"It hurts. All the time. I can't stop thinking about what happened and...a-and," Danny was visibly trembling. He head had dropped so his hair fell over his eyes but Vlad still saw the tears fall to the floor. "I just want it to stop hurting."

"Danny," Vlad spoke softly. A lump had developed in his throat but he pushed it down. "This experiment, it was meant for ghosts, full ghosts. You and I, we're half human and our emotions are more strongly influenced by our human side than our ghost side. This experiment wouldn't work on our kind."

Danny's hands tightened on the notebook.

"What if you took out my ghost side. You'd be able to overwrite my emotions in my ghost half."

"Yes," Vlad said slowly, "But your human half would still feel everything. Even if we re-merged the two parts your human emotions would eventually overwhelm your ghost emotions."

"Why?" Danny was trembling again. "Why are the human emotions stronger?"

"It's not that." Vlad rubbed his forehead. It was complicated, but he had to simplify it. "Basically, even though we're half and half our human side is still dominant, probably because it was our original form. It's the reason we return to human form when weak."

"So, if the ghost half was dominant, would the ghost emotions overwrite the human ones?"

"Theoretically, maybe." Vlad was already running theories and calculations in his head. "Yes, actually that...that might work."

Danny was looking up again. Tear stains streaked down his face but his eyes were brighter again, if only slightly. "So if we found a way to make my ghost side dominant, then I wouldn't have to hurt anymore? I could stop feeling...so...miserable all the time."

Danny's eyes were begging. They were desperate.

"I...maybe. It'd be dangerous." Vlad had started pacing. "Doing something like that…" He was rubbing his temple trying to think. "...it could kill you. Or go horribly wrong in a number of other ways."

"Vlad, please."

His eyes were so desperate. Vlad could see the hurt, see the pain and the misery. See that twisting sick feeling that made everything feel wrong. He couldn't say no. He probably should have.


	5. Acceptance

Vlad canceled all his meetings. They didn't matter anymore. His board of directors could take care of business from now on. He had more important things to focus on.

Vlad spent half the morning opening up trash bags and sorting through boxes to find what he needed. He still planned to throw all of it out eventually but for now, he had one last experiment to complete.

Vlad started up the computers and had them begin to perform calculations. He then began going through his notes and making more notes on the parts that were relevant. Danny was willing so that part was easy enough, and he was strong, but to be safe they would still need a weaker ghost that had strong enough emotions to replace Danny's. Preferably happy emotions, or playful ones. Anything cheerful or calm would do, they just had to be strong enough to establish themselves. Vlad might have to give it a boost to be sure. He'd also have to give Danny some sort of enhancer, something to increase his ecto energy but not necessarily influence his emotions. Being that Danny was intelligent compared to previous tests subject Vlad felt this would not be an issue. His previous subjects had all been lesser ghost ruled by instinct, Danny wouldn't have that problem.

There were so many tests to run. More than once Vlad fell asleep in the lab. Occasionally Danny would stop by but he rarely stayed long unless he had a question.

Vlad lost track of time. His phone told him a week had passed but he felt like it had been so much longer since he set out to grant Danny's request. Yawning he rubbed his eyes and checked the formula again. For a moment he thought he had seen wrong. He rubbed his eyes took a sip of the cold coffee to his right and then took a deep breath. Nope, it was done. The enhancer was ready. A formula to increase the power of a ghost without affecting its emotional state. He still needed to test it but he was confident it would work.

Vlad glanced at the green blob in the containment unit. It was happily floating in circles, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it was a prisoner. Finding this thing had been surprisingly easy. He hadn't even needed to come up with a way to increase its emotional state. Turned out the blob loved peanut butter and became impossibly happy when given some. Vlad didn't care. It was one less problem to solve.

Vlad brought out the other test subject. This one was clearly not happy. If the formula worked it would grow in size and power but remain the same amount of not happy. If it failed it would become angry as well as big.

Vlad put a few drops into the containment unit and waited. Nothing. A minute went by, then two, and finally three. Vlad kept checking his phone. If nothing happened soon he would have to try again. Finally, just after five minutes, the blob squirmed. It began to grow and although it seemed surprised it didn't look any angrier than it had before.

Vlad could help but laugh. He actually cheered, "it worked! It finally worked. The last piece is ready."

Danny's human half would still need to be put in a weakened state during the procedure, but a simple anesthetic would do that trick well enough. All the pieces were ready. Soon Danny could be happy again, eventually, his new emotional state would stabilize and his mental state would allow him to return to how he was before. He could be himself and everything would be as it was.

Vlad's joy halted. If everything went back to how it was before then Danny would go back to fighting ghosts again. He'd probably go back to fighting Vlad regularly. Although Vlad didn't plan on doing anything that would warrant them fighting, but...that didn't mean Danny would suddenly forgive everything he had done before. And, Vlad had done a lot of terrible things, especially to Danny, and his father. There was no way helping the boy this one time would change any of that. At best Danny would simply continue to tolerate his presence. Danny himself would find new friends, go off to college, eventually start a new family, and Vlad would be left behind. He'd be alone, this time for good.

…

Danny had been heading to the lab to check on Vlad. Partly to make sure the older man hadn't fallen asleep at the desk again and partly to check on the progress of the experiment. He hadn't even reached the door when he heard cheering.

"...It finally worked. The last piece is ready."

It was ready. Danny's eyes teared up. He covered his mouth to suppress a sob. He wouldn't have to suffer anymore. He could put all this pain behind him at last. Danny wiped his eyes and started to lean around the door. He froze when he saw the serious look on Vlad's face. A dark look.

Danny pulled back. He hadn't been seen yet. Then he heard Vlad speak, low and quiet, almost inaudible.

"I could tweak it a little. He'd still be happy, but he'd also respect me a bit more, maybe finally consider me…" Vlad trailed off but Danny had heard that line before. How many times had Vlad opened stated his desire for Danny to view him as a father figure? The request was usually followed by a demand to renounce Danny's real dad.

Danny felt sick. He had really thought Vlad was different now, that he had started to change and maybe, actually cared and wanted to help.

Danny forced himself to look around the door. Vlad was staring at a vile. He still had the same dark and serious expression. A possessive expression. Danny watched as Vlad's hand reached for the entrapped ghost. The happy one that was supposed to make Danny feel better.

Danny couldn't watch anymore and hurried away as quietly as he could. He should have known Vlad would betray him.

…

Vlad's hand hovered over the happy blob. It watched him curiously. Finally, Vlad sighed and put his hand back on the table. What was he thinking? This was exactly the sort of thing that had pushed Danny away from him before. It had pushed Maddie away also. If he had been more open, more honest and resisted the urge to manipulate, maybe things would have been different. He couldn't change the past, but if he did things differently now, maybe he could repair what was left of the future.

Putting the vile in the rack Vlad stood up and stretch his back. God, he really was getting old. Ghost powers or not he was stiff and sore. Maybe if this worked with Danny he would consider making his own ghost half the dominant part. It'd be nice to not have to worry about getting old anymore. Although he supposed his human half might still age when he used it. Oh, well, thoughts for later. For now, he needed to tell Danny the good news.

…

Danny was surprisingly unresponsive to the news. But then again he'd been rather unresponsive for a while so Vlad didn't think too much on it. It was probably just a bad time, or maybe the boy was nervous, which was understandable. He was literally going to have his ghost half ripped from his body and then remerge while willingly giving up the dominance of his human half, all of which could still go terribly wrong in so many ways Vlad had stopped counting.

Whatever Danny was feeling he still gave the ok.

"We, don't have to do this," Vlad said as he set up the machines. "What about a grief counselor, or we could go on a trip, anywhere you want…"

"No." It was quiet but firm. "I want this Vlad. I've made up my mind."

Vlad was still hesitant. "Alright then. If at any point you want to change your mind…"

"Vlad," Danny fixed Vlad with a firm if pained look. "Please stop. I know what I'm asking. I won't change my mind."

Vlad only nodded.

They finished setting up in silence. While Danny scooped peanut butter into the containment unit with the happy blob Vlad checked the anesthetic gas tank and prepped the enhancing agent in the syringe.

They were ready.

"You'll need to be in your ghost form when I give you this," Vlad said holding up the needle.

Danny nodded and a white light radiating out from his center, turning his hair white, his eyes green and his clothes from the simple t-shirt and jeans to the famous black and white hazmat suit.

Danny pulled up his sleeve so Vlad could find a vein.

"It'll be a bit like overshadowing in both cases," Vlad explained as he injected the enhancer into Danny. Once it was done Danny turned human again and head for the thing that would hold him in place while he was under anesthesia. "The enhancer will take about five minutes to work. Once inside the smaller ghost you'll essential absorb it from the inside out. You'll have to concentrate on what you want to keep, in this case, the emotions of the blob, just the emotions," Vlad said firmly. "When you re-merge with your body focus on letting the ghost half be in charge. The most important part will be making sure your human side is willing to give up control. If there is any doubt there could be unforeseen repercussions."

Danny nodded, his resolve clear on his face.

Vlad strapped him down so he would fall and place the anesthesia mask over his face. A few moments after he turned it on Danny's eyes closed.

Vlad hesitated again. He could still stop this. Still, refuse and tell Danny there had to be a healthier way to deal with the pain. Something less risky, but, he had already promised, and Danny had pleaded with him so desperately. He couldn't say no.

The ghost gauntlets had never felt so heavy before. Nor had it been so hard to pierce anything with them. Vlad's hands trembled. He knew Danny was a child, had always been a child, but he had never looked so young before, so innocent and helpless. But Vlad had promised. He had to follow through.

It was the most difficult thing Vlad had ever done, wrenching Danny's spirit free of his body. At first, the memory of the anesthesia made Danny's ghost sleepy, but then the enhancer began to kick in. It wouldn't last forever, but it would be long enough.

Danny's ghost half, the half that was Phantom, grabbed Vlad's hands. It looked angry as it ripped the gauntlets from itself and throwing Vlad free of them. For a moment Vlad was afraid he had miscalculated the formula and Danny's emotions were running wild. Those thoughts faded as he watched Phantom put on the gauntlets. The boy was far too calm.

"I heard you, you know," said Phantom, stretching the fingers.

Vlad didn't know. He was confused.

"You wanted to control me. Make me admire you. Like. A. Father."

"No, I…"

Phantom grabbed Vlad's shirt and pulled him to his feet. Vlad could have transformed, but he didn't want to fight Danny.

"Don't lie. You always lie."

"I...I was tempted, yes, but I didn't-"

"Enough," Phantom's voice cracked. "Did you even care she was gone?"

Vlad froze. Of course, he cared, but he didn't think Danny would believe him.

"I know you didn't care about my dad, or my sister, or even my friends, but you always claimed to care about her. I thought for her at least you would feel sad, maybe even cry, but all you did was get angry and make others suffer. I don't think you even know how to be sad."

Vlad couldn't deny it. It hadn't cried. Not once. Why hadn't he cried?

"Maybe…" Phantom said softly, "I should take your emotions."

Vlad didn't have time to register what Phantom meant before he was torn in two. His human side thrown to one side and his ghost half to another.

While both halves were dazed Phantom dropped the gauntlets and sprang into Vlad's ghost half.

…

Phantom was eager as he overshadows Plasmius. He doubted Vlad had ever had any real emotions outside of greed and arrogance. True Danny could have chosen to be happy with that blob's emotions but he couldn't risk that whatever Vlad had done to it wouldn't turn him into a dependent slave. Unfortunately, his choice of other ghosts emotional to steal was limited. Vlad was the only other ghost here, and he was still a threat, especially with his powers. But by using Vlad, Danny could kill several birds with one stone, too bad he miscalculated.

From inside Plasmius Danny began overwhelming the older ghost, taking advantage of the extra power the enhancement gave him to slowly eat away at every Plasmius was until only his emotions remained. These Danny kept, pulling them in to replace his own and eager waiting for the pain to finally leave him. Unfortunately, Vlad had also been in pain. He had been trying to deny it, to push it down in favor of more familiar emotions, but it was still there and instead of overwriting Danny's emotions it resonated with them. The loss, the sadness, the anger, especially the anger. Anger at the ghosts who always caused trouble, this wouldn't have happened if they had minded their own business, anger at the humans who failed to do their jobs right and make sure the danger of an explosion never happened, anger at Danny for failing to save his friends and family, Anger at Vlad for all of the lies and manipulations.

Danny couldn't take it, it was too much. The emotions built and swelled inside him, they boiled and writhed. He could feel himself breaking and was barely aware that he had started to scream.

…

Vlad couldn't stop the boy, by the time the fog cleared from his head, it was too late. Phantom was merging with Plasmius and the process could not be undone. Vlad stumbled to his feet and hurried to ripped the mask from human Danny's face. He hurried to undo the straps and get the boy's arm around his shoulder. Phantom had started screaming, cracks appearing over his skin as it became discolored.

"Danny please wake up," Vlad begged, trying hauling Dany across the room as best he could.

Danny stirred and opened his eyes, he took one look at Vlad and became angry. Maybe Vlad was still weak from losing his ghost half, or maybe the enhancer was effecting Danny's human body after all. In either case, when Danny shoved Vlad away the both fell forcefully apart. Vlad sat up, desperate to explain, but he couldn't speak. He was too frightened. Phantom had stopped screaming.

Vlad trembled as chills shook his body with dread. Slowly he turned and looked.

Phantom was standing very still, his skill had become pale, tinted green. His ears had become pointed and, most notably of all, his hair was twisting a flickering like a white flame. Slowly Phantom turned towards them.

"What the hell!" It was human Danny, he was trembling, not just from fear but because the anesthesia was still making him weak.

"Don't be like that," said Phantom, stepping towards his other half. "We still need to re-merge after all."

"No!" Danny refused.

Phantom looked surprised. "Didn't you want to get rid of the pain? Well, I'm not in pain. I feel great." He smiled, but it was twisted, or maybe that was just the fangs.

"No," Danny said again. "Not like this."

Phantom frowned. His brow furrowed in anger and then he began to laugh. "But we need each other, we're not whole without each other."

"I don't care."

Phantom's grin faded, his expression was cold for a moment, then it twisted into a menacing grin. "Fine then, we do it the hard way."

Vlad tried to move but his legs buckled. He was trembling so badly he couldn't stand, all his strength had left him. He couldn't even speak from the terror that knotted in his throat. All he could do was watch as Phantom overshadowed Danny. He watched as something just under his skin began to glow. At first, Vla,d though his body was melting away until he realized it was being absorbed and replaced with ectoplasm. It was just like when Phantom went into Plasmius, only it was ten times more horrible to watch, and instead of keeping the emotions Phantom would be keeping the body itself, tucked away until needed.

Once more Vlad was face to face with Phantom, not the innocent and hopeful one he had grown fond of but this new, cold and menacing Phantom. He couldn't move.

Phantom smiled, it was still twisted, but it was remarkably sincere. "Thank you, Vlad. It doesn't hurt at all anymore."

And then he was gone. Phantom flew away and Vlad could swear he heard laughing on his way out.

The feeling started to return to Vlad's limbs, and then his stomach heaved. He bent double and wretch violently into the nearest corner. This wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was supposed to happen. Oh God! How did it go so wrong?

Vlad gasped, his sides heaved, and for the first time in three weeks, he cried. It was gone, all gone. Maddie was gone, and now her son...He had tried so hard. To be strong. To set things right. To help Danny. He had tried everything in his power and after all his attempts this was the result. This...was the end.


End file.
